Steering-gear for automobiles.



PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

A. E. ROCKWELL.

STEERING GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 23, 1906.

2 SHEBTSSHBET l.

PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23,1906.

2 HEETSSHEET 2.

U ITE s'r TE-s PATENT OF I E: ARTHUR- E. nocnwhhrihr OSWEGO, NEW YORK, sTEsR Ne-esa-s r 03. Au'rom'oalrEs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' AppHoationfiledMarohQS,19(16- Ssrial No. 807,616.-

I Patented May 7, 1907-.

To to whom, it may concern:-

Be it known that IJ-A'RTHU'R E. Rack- WELL, of Oswe o, in the county ofOswego, in

wit 1 a minimum movement of the steering the State of i ew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in" Steering-Gear for Automobiles, of which the following} taken in OODDGCiJiOILWlth the accompanying drawings, is a fu'lhcjlear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements steering gear for automobiles; in-

which the essential object is to simplifythe mechanism which operatesthe crank-arm'- connected to'the steemm wheels of thevehicle by making such lllGCilflIllSlIhWlth a,m1m

mum number of parts andassociating such post, and positively lock in their adjusted position without unduly straining the parts of I the steering mechanism or causing excessive vibration of the steering post while the steer ing-wheels are passing over obstructions.

A further object is to enable the .wearing parts of thcsteering mechanism to be quickly and easily adjusted to'take-up any wear, and thereby prevent loss motion of the steering post or steering wheels.

In other words the broad object of my present invention 1s to produce a quick and responsive action of the steering wheels with a mini1m'1m movement of the steerin post and wlth as little loss motion as POSSlb e.

F gures 1 and 2 are eleva-- Inthe drawings tions, taken at right angles to each other, of

w my improved steering gear showing the case and part of the steering mechanism in section, in Fig.'1-, and also showing in Fig. 2,

one-half the case, and a section of the adjusting-mean's for taking up the wear, Figs. 3' e and 4 are sectional views taken respectlvely on lines 3 and *4 4, Fig. 2.

- In carrying out the objects stated, Iprfovide a suitable gear-case 1- which is -di'-'- vided through its longitudinal center formingopposite half sections each having a series of re istered apertured ears -2 for re- "ceiving c' ampi'ng bolts .3. whereby the.

sections may. be clamped together to inclose the essential parts of the steering gear, I

A suitable tubular steeringost 4 is The other sleeve 9 vidly keyed: to the lower endof the steering;

vided; with y, pins 21-, and-uponth 'the' opposite, end of. mar en-ems These rock-arms 19-.= areylocatedat, 0 pced positionby a lock-nut 7-, while the lower end of the post is journaled in. the lower-end of thease 1- so that the axis "'ofthe 'steer'ingpost is substantially ,co-inci- '6 dent with the plane of division or meeting faces of the half sections of the gear-en'ses.

The portion of thezpost -4'- within the gear-case Tvl is provided with- 'ncirclin sleeves 8'and 9. arranged end to and c and e 9 1 1v separately keyed to the steering-e, post by any suitab 0 means, as.pins" -'v +10.' andf 1-:1-,' whereby the sleevesai'e caused; to rotate-with thesteering-post. f, 1, v ffOne of'the sleeves, as. isiprovidd 7cwith aloft-hand screw-thread"1'2f-of comparatively steep pitch, while the other sleeve is formed with a' right handthread +13 of the same steep pitch as the thread -This sleeve 8-=-. abuts'ag ains t' the inner encLof the threaded bushing and is "formed with an elongated 'slot -Ma res.

ceiving the key-pin -10 and of sufiicientlength to allow the sleeve';-' 8++:filo-be!ad-'1-. justed'endwise by the threaded bushing to take up any, wear upon the threadsand their co-acting nuts resentlycdescribed.

post- .4. I U

face of'the lOYtifGlid of the against theinner gear-easte l a a I 'A nut or internally threaded collar is engaged with the threads" 12,- and is provided with diametrically opposite studs 'or ins .-16r u on which are ournaledone, en of a air of inks'17-'-v.-,;t eother ends of said inks being""pivotallyfiittaelied at? -18. to a pair 0 transyer 'ly'f'exltendlng rock-arms ge with theothergg 'thread' 13.- is "5 r ii1terImlly threaded collar-'.

having theireother ends pivo'te'd at;}'.'f23+ to" site sides of the steei'ingpostf i an each provided with I a c'entralfulcrumin; shaft 25 said fulcrum pins for-she 'tsilptending in opposite directions from theirre spective rock-arms 1 9, and are 'journaledg' in opposite sides of the gear-case 5-1-5.

' One of the fulcrum studs or shafts l is longerthan the other and e' tlmnds entirely:

through and some distance beyond the adjacent side of the gear-c'ase, its outer end being preferablytapered and angular in cross section for receiving one end of the crank-arm -.Z6-,- which is held firmly in place by a.

suitable nut -''2'7 engaging the threaded end of the shaft or stud towhieh the crankarm -26; is secured. a

The rock-arms -19 are )aced apart a sufficient distance to receive etween them the threaded collars and -20,and extend equal; distances at opposite sides of the axes of their respeetii 'e shafts i said axes.

while-theclinks -22 and,17 are pivoted .to said rock-arms at equal'distanees from Correspondm'g endsv oi the rockarrns -.19-;- are tied together and held a hired distanceapart by suitable stay-bolts or tie-rods -28' having reduced ends upon which. the aeent ends-of the rock-arms l'9- and links -17-and 22- are pivotally mounted. It is nowobvious that the rook-arms 19 and their connecting rods- 28. constitute a rocking frame to vwhich the threaded collars ,15 and -20- are linked, and this rocking frame, to which the oppositely )rojecting shafts or studs -2f are rigidl secured, is adapted to transmit 'sin'iil'ar rocking movement to the cranl-c-arnr -'-26-, which latter may be connected in any desired manner to the steering wheels of theyvehiele, said crank-arm. having its lower end prvOt-allyeonnected to a link .--29- l'or this purpose.

. I i "(8nd" lace oi the sleeve 8--, lorces the thr utds of the latter nto closer engagement The steering 1")ost.----it maybe rotated by anysuitabie hand-piece," not necessary to herein illnstraieor describe, and it is evident that during such rotation the threaded collars l5-- and '----2(l--- are moved-axially in opposite directimis, either toward or away from each other by means of the right and lefthand threads 125 and l2- on the sleeves and 8.-, and owing to the fact that thesethreaded collars are con neeted by the links 'l7 and 2 to the rock-arms 19*} at opposite sides of its ful (ruin, it is evident that said rook-arms will be oscillated in one direction or the other} aecording to the moven'ient of the collars l5-- and -2(-) and that similar rocking mover nient will be transmitted to the crank-arm lhere will,- ol" course, always be more or -less' wear upon -the threaded' nrrts of the 51.4%(1111g-gl1t1 as well upon the pivotal connections of the rock-arms --19 and links '17- 'and' 2 and in orderto provide means for fakn'ig' n [such weairand prevenh inglossmiotion, the ad aoentends of the sleeves I Hand 4% are spaced some disl'anee' apart topermit the 'e'ndwise adjustment ol said sleeves by theadjusting bush-' which, when screwed against the arm and links connecting vith the threads of the nut 15", and if there is any play nthe nut '20-, the inwardmovement or the nut -15-, by-the adjuster '5 will rock the arms 19 sullieieiit to I draw the nut ---20- inwardly to efl'eet a closer eagagement of its threads with those of the sleeve '--9. Thisadjustmenhis, of course, only-slight, and even in extreme cases, would not tilt the rockingarins 19-- to any great extent from their normal position. What I claim :1

; 1. ,A steering gear for automobiles [comprising a steering post, oppositely,.tl1readed sleeves secured to the post, oppositely threaded nuts eaoH'engagirig its respective sleeve, a rock-shaft -having"a .crank-ar1n tl'iercon, and means fortransmittingmotion from said nuts to the rock-shaft.

21A steering gearfor automobiles comprising two co-axial oppositely threaded 'inembers arranged end to end, and means for simultaneously rotating them a pair of, (re-axial nuts arranged end to end, each can ag-m one of the threaded members, whereby the nuts are moved simultaneously in op posite i'lireel'ions, a erank shal't' and liiiks connecting the nuts'to saidcrank-shaft.

3. Asteering gearlor automobiles cons prisingtWo threaded, members, one having a right hand thread and the other a left-hand thread, said threaded nieinbers revolving on v the same axis and arranged end to end, means for rotating said members simultaneously, oppositelythreaded nuts each engaging one of said members, a rookhrmlrilcrumed in-v tel-mediate its ends and having each end flexibly connected to one ofthe nuts,- anda crank-arm secured to the roclearm.

4. A steering gear for automobiles coni- 'PI'lSlIlg two oppositely threadednieinbers arv ranged end to end on the same axis, means 'for simultaneously rotating said members,

threai'ledcollars each engaging" one of the thread-ed members, a crank-arm and. means for transmitting motion fl'OlitOrLUl'l. of said .eollars tothe crank-arm.

5 A steering for automobiles coniprisingtwo oppositel y threaded members {IT-n crank a mu.

7. A steering gear for automobiles comprising a steering post," oppositely threaded one of said threaded members, and? members keyed to the post, one of them beagainst rotation by said links. ing adjustable endwise, means for effecting In witness whereof I have hereunto set my such adjustment, a crankshaft, a rock-arm hand this 24th day of February 1906, secured to the crank-shaft and links pivot- ARTHUR E. ROCKWELL. ally attached to the rock-arm at opposite Witnesses: sides of its axis, and each connecting one end H. E. CHASE, of said rock-arm to one of the collars, and HOWARD P. DENISON.

oppositely threaded collars each BI1 8.%l1i [0 

